Wow... I went into the cinema expecting a good movie, but this... this is EPIC in every sense!!! The cinematography are great, the scenery breathtaking, and the costumes are juz... perfect! I was expecting an action movie in its purest sense, but I'm surprised to find out how the subtle the movie actually is. There are fighting scenes of cuz, which are incredibly brutal, violent, and unrelenting, yet they are few and far in between. Most of the time we see Cruise's character trying to learn the way of the Samurai, and I find it very interesting. Also, as a person who have some background knowledge of the Meiji Revolution, the movie proves to be quite an educational one too!
However, I do have some dislike on the movie. I can't help but feel that the movie is somewhat biased... I dun like the way they paint the Meiji Government as villains while the Samurais as heroes-in-exile. They somehow oversimplify history, and painted a rather unconving picture of the Meiji Goverment as deserter of the old ways instead of champions of the modern way. I would prefer a more neutral approach to both sides, like the Rurouni Kenshin OVA, Trust and Betrayal.
Nevertheless, with all its shortcomings, The Last Samurai is still one of the best movie I've ever watched. Tom Cruise's performance is great, and so do all the cast. One show not to be missed!
Now that I've reread my review I wrote last month, I noticed that I forgotten about another thing I dislike about the movie. It's horribly-Hollywood-cliche ending. Without it, it could have been easily in my favourite movies list. In my opinion, the best ending will be that the Tom Cruise character died in the battle, full of bravery and honour, dying for the way of life he have grown to love. Seeing him survived the battle and actually convinced the emperor Meiji actually make me feel that I'm cheated in a way... Too bad...
Somehow, the beautiful Sakura scene still haunted me... Even until now...
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